Gemini 4 Hydrogen is available

Google's post on 12 November 2026 introduces Gemini 4 Hydrogen for everyday coding and agentic workflows. Google says Gemini 4 Carbon and Gemini 4 Argon remain the models for deep, long-horizon reasoning, and that Hydrogen is built for rapid execution. It is rolling out for all tiers of Google AI Studio and the Gemini API, in Android Studio, in Gemini for business, in the Gemini app, and in Google Search. Paid Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can use it in Google Antigravity. In the Gemini app, free users get it through automatic model selection when it is the appropriate model for the prompt. Gemini in Google Sheets starts with Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, and with eligible business subscriptions.

Google prices Hydrogen flat across its 1 million-token context window at $1.50 per million input tokens and $7.50 per million output tokens. The thinking levels are low, medium, high, and xhigh. High is the default. Google says Hydrogen scores 51 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index at that default, against 50 for Argon, and 54 at xhigh. Google also says that, at the high default, Hydrogen finishes tasks 2.5 times faster than Gemini 3.8 Flash and more than triples Terminal-Bench 4.1, 57% against 18.2%. Those figures are Google's.

Google is introducing Orchestrator in Google Antigravity. It switches between models such as Carbon and Hydrogen in the same session. Google says that on Terminal-Bench 4.0, Orchestrator reached near-Carbon task success while using 24% less quota and finishing 19% faster.

Who it's for: a developer who wants a fast Gemini 4 model for everyday coding and agent work, on any tier of Google AI Studio or the Gemini API.

Fits: Best for Writing stays Claude. Gemini stays third, for a draft next to Gmail and Docs. A faster model for coding and agents does not change that draft. Best for Vibe Coding stays Cursor. The writing guide, the Gemini alternatives, and the coding guide are unchanged. The verdict is unchanged.